Posted on 09/13/2002 3:55:47 PM PDT by maquiladora
[ Review by Xoanon of the EXTENDED FOTR script, be warned though, lots of spoilers ]
You may ask yourself WHAT could be missing from an already 3 hour film? Well I can tell you PLENTY...I remember going to the press screening for FOTR in November of last year. Right after seeing the film I called my friends at New Line and he asks me to give it to him straight...don't pull and punches...how did I find it...
'I've got to tell you, it was 3 hours plus long, my legs fell asleep, my bottom wanted out and I needed to go to the bathroom so bad I was contemplating recycling my water bottle....but it went by TOO FAST!!'
Where were all the little moments I was DYING to see?! Gimli not wanting to enter Lothlorian, Bilbo with Frodo before he leaves the Shire, the gift giving scene, Boromir and Aragorn...where was all that!!
We now have the answer....and it's coming in November.
The thing I noticed most when I read the extended script was the simple fact that the news scenes at the same time did and did not stand out like a bright shiny penny used for the first time. I noticed them when reading because I had the movie as I know it in my head, and suddenly Gimli is swearing in Dwarvish...it comes as a surprise to you. But at the same time these scenes are so interwoven into the script that your mind can simply accept them and it just seems like the regular version of the film just 'missed' that little piece of dialog or shot or two of one of our characters.
Right from the get go we know that things are different. The opening narration by Cate Blanchett is still there, but it later cuts to a scene with Bilbo writing in his book about Hobbits, the details and whatnots on what makes hobbits tick.
This scene is interwoven into the Gandalf/Frodo cart scene. With an addition on how Frodo thinks Bilbo has been acting strange lately..locked up in his writing room.
After Gandalf arrives at Bag End there is a small added section with Bilbo talking about the Sackville-Bagginses and how they dis-like Bilbo for living so long.
One of the scenes I'm most looking foreward to is the following added party scene. Frodo spots a Sackville-Bagginses heading for Bilbo and just manages to get Bilbo to hide. Bilbo has a tender moment with Frodo telling him how much he means to him and how he has always been a the only true Baggins that showed real spirit in Bilbo's eyes.
Cut to Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin and others at a tavern, the Gaffer is there and singing is lively and boistrious. This scene is added right after Farmer Maggot is confronted by one of the Nazgul. There is a nice little mention of Rosie Cotton as well, with Frodo teasing Sam.
Cut to Frodo and Sam on their own just outside the borders of Hobbiton. They see wood elves maing their way west and on to boats for the Grey Havens, Sam gets his wish to see elves earlier in this version of the film. It also allows for that travelling time between Hobbiton and Buckleberry Ferry and Bree...some have said that in the film Bree seems extremely close to Hobbiton when in reality is it quite a ways off.
Cut to The Hobbits with Strider leaving Bree...there was a great shot in one of the trailers with Merry asking Frodo if we can trust strider...Dominic Monaghan (Merry) has this great sinister look about him, in the final film we only hear him speak, in the extended version there is a line added by Frodo...hopefully we can see that whole exchange between Frodo and Merry.
There is a wonderful little exchange bewteen Frodo and Aragorn, the script doesn't specify if the scenes takes place at night or during the day, but goes like this. Aragorn is singing in Elvish, Frodo askes him what lady in particular he's singing about (Frodo knows elvish, remember?) and Aragorn proceeds to tell him briefly about the story of Beren and Luthien, the star cross'd lovers, one human, one Elvish.
Cut to the scene where Frodo lies in pain after the Morgul blade wound, there is an acknowledgement of the stone trolls they are standing under...cool that.
The next additional bit of dialog is a nice bit of talking between Boromir and Aragorn, this is while Aragorn is in Rivendell reading and Boromir is snooping around the halls and cuts himself with the shards of Narsil. It is very short but interesting none the less.
At the council of Elrond Boromir is given a chance to tell of his vision and his quest to come to Rivendell...he calls the ring Isildur's Bane and Gandalf utters the black tounge of Mordor to which Elrond becomes angry. Very very cool!
Now THIS next scene is worth buying these types of DVD's for! Right after Pippin's 'where are we going?' line we cut to Elrond and Aragorn alone talking. Elrond speaks of Aragorn's mother and how she brought him to Rivendell for protection, they talk about Narsil and how it can be re-forged if Aragorn wishes to use it's power...he does not...he is still fearfull of his past...oh man..I just wet my pants thinking about that scene!!!
Right after Bilbo's scary as hell/sad scene with Frodo, Mithril, Sting and the Ring, Elrond wishes them all a fond farewell with a speech about going only as far as you can, really nice send off...but I also love the way it is now on the 'regular' DVD...I guess we shall have to see the different cuts.
Another great scene up high in Caradhras...Frodo and Gandalf talking about the Ring..and how the burden will effect others...we saw this bit of dialog on the DVD teaser.
Down at the door to Moria...we have more dialog between Gandalf and Pippin..it is interesting to see how their relationship with eachother will play out in movies 2 and 3.
At Caras Galadhon Haldir tells them about Lothlorien and we see more of it while he speaks aobut it.
There is a slightly longer discussion with Celeborn and Galadriel, more is discussed about Gandalf and what happened in Moria.
Right after Legolas tells the fellowship about the lament for Gandalf, they talk a bit more about him, the Hobbits mention his fireworks as Gimli snores in the background.
At the mirror of Galadriel scene, she tells Frodo about Nenya, a very short bit of added dialog.
The longest deleted scene is of course the infamous gift-giving scene, the scene that rumor has it, PJ fought bitterly for, but ultimately had to give it up, lest the film be 4 hours in legnth at on the screen, which would have killed it at the box office.
This scene looks great, it is almost word for word from the books, so go grab it off your shelf and have a little fun.
There's a great little scene here with Gimli and Legolas, Gimli is terribly sad to leave that land, now knowing of the beauty and wonder of Lothlorien and his love for Galadriel, he is saddened.
The danger and tension of the river Anduin scene is heightened by the discovery that Gollum is following them on a log not far behind...Aragorn spots him first.
Another added scene is a small scene between Frodo and Sam, something of a forshadowing of Movie 2, they are sitting together and Sam wants desperately for Frodo to eat and sleep, of which, the little Hobbit cannot do.
And what gets my vote as my 2nd favorite scene (right...they ALL are! -Xo) is this confrontation between Aragorn and Boromir, Boromir obviously wants to head east to Minas Tirith, while Aragorn maintains they should head south to Mordor...really great stuff.
Cut to Boromir's death scene..after he takes his last breath Aragorn mentions a few words about his people looking for him in the White City...but he will not be there.
This is it, all the added scenes. The rest seems mainly the same, and I'm sure all of these scenes combined make for a good 30 minutes. I'm also sure there will be other things not mentioned in this version of the script that I have, who knows....we shall wait and see...now that waiting seems MUCH more harder than before!!!!
"Gift" version or not.
It's that time of year again....
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Uh oh, does this mean I'll have to have MORE kleenex! Everytime I watch this part of the movie I get fahklempt!!
I thought Frodo covered that when after fleeing Boromir, then takes off the ring, he falls off the seat and Aragorn comes up behind him. Frodo says "It has taken Boromir" and Aragorn asks "Where is the Ring", and moves to help Frodo. Frodo backs away and asks "But can you save me from yourself" Then Aragorn folds the ring into Frodo's hand, telling him he would have gone with him to the end. Aragorn understands Frodo's concerns and is giving Frodo permission to go on his own. That's why Frodo tells Aragorn to take care of Sam because he won't understand.
I guess I understand more because of the books, but I only read them once each before the movie. I haven't read them as much as some of y'all have.
Does TTT go into a more in depth explanation about Smeagol? I don't remember that from TTT, but I'm just reading it the second time through. Maybe it is just for the audience members who have NOT read the books to give a better explanation of how Smeagol became Gollum.
that particular scene wasn't in the books
Yes it was.... The history of Deagol and Smeagol is spelled out in detail in Chapter 2 (The Shadow of the Past) of the Fellowship of the Ring. (Gandalf telling Frodo)
And there is a scene in a boat between the two. You must re-read this if you haven't recently.
I am absolutely thrilled that this is going to be "flashed back" to in the movie, because it is very important background providing great insight into Gollum.
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